NSA Confirms Binance Executive’s Escape

…Says Personnel Responsible For Custody Arrested

The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Monday, confirmed that Binance Executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla escaped from lawful custody, and fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport.

The NSA in a statement, signed by its spokesman Zakari Mijinyawa, also disclosed that the personnel responsible for the custody of the suspect have also been arrested.

“The Office of the National Security Adviser confirms that Nadeem ANJARWALLA, a suspect in the ongoing criminal probe into the activities of Binance in Nigeria has escaped from lawful custody on Friday, 22 March 2024,” the statement said.

The ONSA said a thorough investigation” is ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to his escape “from lawful detention.”

THE WHISTLER reported that Anjarwalla had escaped from an “Abuja Guest House”, where he was been detained following a court order to be remanded for 14 days, over alleged tax evasion and other offences.

Anjarwalla, who also holds Kenya citizenship, was led by a guard to a nearby mosque to pray to observe the ongoing Ramadan fast when he escaped from ‘lawful detention’.

He along with his colleague, Tigran Gambaryan, a US citizen overseeing financial crime compliance at Binance were detained upon their arrival in Nigeria on February 26 and were scheduled to appear before the court on April 4.

The ONSA noted that upon receiving the report, it took immediate steps, in conjunction with relevant security agencies, MDAs, as well as the international community, to apprehend the suspect.

But “Preliminary investigation shows that Mr Anjarwalla fled Nigeria using a smuggled passport,” the ONSA said, despite having his British passport with the Nigerian authorities.